What are Medicare star ratings?
Last updated Jul 19, 2026
Reviewed by Jason Burns, Editorial Steward
Published by Senior Direct Answers · Licensed under Citation License 1.0
Medicare star ratings are CMS's annual quality scores for Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans, rated on a one-to-five-star scale (one star = poor performance, five stars = excellent performance) based on measures such as clinical quality, member experience, and customer service. New ratings are released each fall (typically October) on Medicare Plan Finder before Open Enrollment (Oct. 15-Dec. 7), and a plan's rating can change every year. If a 5-star plan is available in your area, a special enrollment period (Dec. 8-Nov. 30) lets you switch into it once during the year. Which plans hold 5 stars changes annually, so recheck each fall.
What the government has said, on the record
“The Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings are important tools in the toolbox for beneficiaries to use as they consider Medicare coverage options”
— Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2021-2025), CMS press release, "CMS Releases 2022 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings to Help Medicare Beneficiaries Compare Plans", 2021-10-08 (source)
Editor's note: Source-type flag: named-official quote in an official CMS press release, not congressional testimony (no CMS testimony found that quotably defines star ratings). Same release states verbatim (agency voice, also verified): "Plans are rated on a one-to-five scale, with one star representing poor performance and five stars representing excellent performance." Release's enrollment dates (Oct. 15-Dec. 7, 2021) are for that year; the 5-star SEP is not mentioned in this source.
Who said this
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure — Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2021-2025) (current).
Also asked as
- What are Medicare star ratings — plain answer
- Definition of Medicare star ratings.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18